Irving Phillips

(29 November 1904 - 28 October 2000, USA)

Irving Phillips started out making illustrations for Esquire magazine. He created the comic series 'Scuffy' from 1945 to 1951. He is probably best know for his 'Strange World of Mr Mum' series. Mr Mum, a bald and curious character, observes with an apparent indifference, the most unexpected scenes. As a viewer, he assists in discussions between all sorts of characters, like aliens or eastern merchants of flying carpets.

Mr Mum's strange universe often turns out to be less absurd then our own pitiless society, which is where the series morals lie. This intellectual series appeared from 1958 as a daily cartoon, but was later turned into a more classical comic. Irving Phillips drew the series until 1974. In 1979 he briefly drew the 'Barnaby Bungle' series.